...realized that next week is the start of November...And that means it's time to finish off October. I took time to look over my goals for the month and see where I've ticked the boxes or forgotten things entirely. It stayed so hot and dry, I never did get out in the yard except to clear the pots and baskets. It's looking pretty grim outdoors just now and I hate it. But I can't plant cool weather plants if the weather insists on being in the 90's, now can I? Basically if it's in the yard, it's been pretty much ignored.
Indoors things have been unsettled enough. I tamed the guest room to a dull roar on Thursday and aside from clearing off the sewing table and moving the boxes of stuff to the shed, I'm calling it done for now. Every time I moved a stack of something, I found things that had been buried. Books, junk mail, clothes, etc. It. was. not. fun. It was pure shame that pushed me to finish it off as much as I did. Mama came by on Wednesday and said "Oh....Terri!" when she saw the unholy mess in the room. The next day it was a pure stranger, a neighbor, who had come in and stepped to the music room door to speak to John. I hastily pulled the guest room door shut but that was incentive enough to make me hustle. I tossed two bags of trash (empty boxes, padded envelopes {as though I couldn't get all those free at the post office or very nearly free}, ragged scraps of wrapping paper rolls and poster board with nary a school project for which to utilize it). I packed up two bins of things I simply cannot use in decor because the house will have none of it. I moved furniture and vacuumed and decided that since the bed was all clear and the room was neat enough, I'd call it quits that day.
Mama pronounced the floors beautiful but she was unimpressed with the house overall. She said it looked cold and uninviting. I confess I was puzzled by this assessment. There are quilts and pillows on every chair. There are lamps for ambient lighting and extra seating. True, it's far less fussy than it was and there's more space than before. There are a few pieces missing and those will be missing until I find what is needed to fill the area but for the most part, we really like what we've done. It's peaceful and calm. It's fresh. I don't read it as cold or uninviting...So go figure.
Indoors things have been unsettled enough. I tamed the guest room to a dull roar on Thursday and aside from clearing off the sewing table and moving the boxes of stuff to the shed, I'm calling it done for now. Every time I moved a stack of something, I found things that had been buried. Books, junk mail, clothes, etc. It. was. not. fun. It was pure shame that pushed me to finish it off as much as I did. Mama came by on Wednesday and said "Oh....Terri!" when she saw the unholy mess in the room. The next day it was a pure stranger, a neighbor, who had come in and stepped to the music room door to speak to John. I hastily pulled the guest room door shut but that was incentive enough to make me hustle. I tossed two bags of trash (empty boxes, padded envelopes {as though I couldn't get all those free at the post office or very nearly free}, ragged scraps of wrapping paper rolls and poster board with nary a school project for which to utilize it). I packed up two bins of things I simply cannot use in decor because the house will have none of it. I moved furniture and vacuumed and decided that since the bed was all clear and the room was neat enough, I'd call it quits that day.
Mama pronounced the floors beautiful but she was unimpressed with the house overall. She said it looked cold and uninviting. I confess I was puzzled by this assessment. There are quilts and pillows on every chair. There are lamps for ambient lighting and extra seating. True, it's far less fussy than it was and there's more space than before. There are a few pieces missing and those will be missing until I find what is needed to fill the area but for the most part, we really like what we've done. It's peaceful and calm. It's fresh. I don't read it as cold or uninviting...So go figure.
...plan meals for now and later:
Meals for now are just below. The 'later' part is to use up leftovers in the fridge to make a freezer entree and a dessert as well as planning meals for the first weekend in November. I have to plan them now because family are arriving at end of pay period when things are generally short. I need to make sure I have the items needed for the extra foods required. So I shall add them to my shopping list this week.
KFC leftovers
Pot Roast with vegetables, Lettuce Wedges, Apple Hand Pies.
on my own xs two
Sausage Pizza, Green Salad
Grocery Day Leftovers or deli
Roast Beef Hash, Green Beans, Orange and Pomegranite Salad, Rolls
KFC leftovers
Pot Roast with vegetables, Lettuce Wedges, Apple Hand Pies.
on my own xs two
Sausage Pizza, Green Salad
Grocery Day Leftovers or deli
Roast Beef Hash, Green Beans, Orange and Pomegranite Salad, Rolls
...plan my work for the week:
Paint the cabinet in the bathroom.
Bills, errands, groceries.
Purchase and place landscape blocks.
I hate to even say this but start a room by room declutter. Yes, honestly. There's nothing like shifting 5 rooms of stuff twice to make you aware of how very much you don't typically use.
Connect DVD player.
Spend time doing some shopping for self and home.
Most of my work this week involves our food supplies:
Pantry organized and inventory done.
Freezer inventory and defrost.
Clean fridge very well.
Organize food cupboards.
...plan some real leisure time...honestly!
Watch a movie... or two!
Read.
6 comments:
I love the bottom picture! LOL!
We went for another leaf ride up to the mountains today and leaves are just beautiful. We thought they might be all blown down after the winds this weekend. We are loving our Sunday afternoon drives and thinking of places to go next.
I know exactly what you mean about seeing all the (more) stuff that needs to go. We are moving on to our garage which is a nightmare and still have piles of stuff to get rid of (again) inside the house. We did have so much last weekend that the thrift store came and hauled it away. :) I am in total denial about the holidays right now. I forgot about the fall plates in the cabinet last year and never even used them. We go to the lake on Nov. 1 for 5 days and I think that after I come back from that I will be ready to get more with reality.
S-lasagna
M-pork chops
T-roast with veggies
W-cooking for the homeless shelter and we eat out that night at a hole in the wall BBQ joint
TR-Chicken chili
F-salmon and I mean to try your lemon BBQ sauce on it-this meal has been bumped for weeks
S-homemade pizza and two grandchildren will be here to eat with us
I plan to go to the garden center and buy some pansies or Johnny jump ups for a few places on my deck. We emptied out the summer annuals and put away the pots yesterday and everything that gets overwintered in the garage is on the dolly in the driveway and ready to go into the garage for cold weather. Big accomplishment!
Forgot to say that I love the new backdrop with the fall leaves! I can't see it on my phone, which by the way is misbehaving again and coming here every time I open the browser, but I can see orange bars between the posts which look like fall, too.
Terri, I didn't see your new living areas as cold/uninviting at all.. They are looking beautiful.. It will all come together.
SO totally understand the decluttering.. We did this when we moved in May. I gave away, threw away SO much stuff. And now I am decluttering each room in my fall cleaning.It is amazing how we accumulate so much stuff, that we dont use. .
Rest... it will all get done..
We have had a good week..
Grocery shopping..
large eggs 25 cent a dz with $20 purchase..
center cut pork chops - 1.79 lb
Glade candles [I got a pumpkin scent] 2 for $5.00 [an used a $2 off coupon].
Bananas - 39 cents lb
Can tomatoes [diced] - 39 cents [Bought 10 for pantry, as it was getting low]
can corn, english peas, green beans- 39 cents each..[ bought 20 cans]
Did not need any other groceries, so this was a big savings. [and nice to
add to pantry]. We had to buy gutters for the house, as water was running under it..This was an unexpected purchase..So, I was happy we were able to eat from freezer /pantry.
Hope you have a blessed week.
You have been really busy! I do understand about the having to budget for extra company near the end of the month. My parents were here for a long weekend and we had my cousin over for dinner one night while they were here (the rest of the family could not make it) and we had a big potluck birthday party another day. I made a menu based on what we had in the freezer and on hand in the pantry. I need to do that for the rest of the month as well but do need to pick up a few things from the grocery store that will fit into my husband's new diet restrictions.
I think your house looks fine. I think our parents' generation is used to a cluttered look, for lack of a better turn. When I think about our house growing up, there was always a lot of stuff. I've even decorated that way in the past. It's only now, in my 60's, that I feel confident enough to say "less truly is more" and continue to declutter like you.
I agree with Grammy Goodwill. I think it's simply that there is less stuff, less clutter so it's roomier and cleaner and simpler. If you like it, that's what matters. We are also getting used to roomier rooms and less clutter and it does take some time but it's worth working through, isn't it?
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